The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Despite falling short of winning a medal at the AIBA World Boxing Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Carl Hield said he was pleased with his performance. Now he’s hoping to cash in when he travels to compete in the World Series of Boxing in Mexico.

Fighting out of the 69 kilo-class division, Hield lost out to Daniyar Yeleussinov in the second round in what he called a “hometown” 30-27 decision. Yeleussinov went on to secure the gold medal.

“It was a good tournament. I was really disappointed that I didn’t get to win a medal,” said Hield, the lone Bahamian to compete in thw two-week-long tournament. “I went out there and I fought hard. I just think that I got beat from a guy who was fighting in his hometown. That made it very difficult for me to win.”

Although he missed out on the opportunity to get into the medal round, Hield said he was pleased with the fact that he will be able to improve on his ranking from around No. 30 in the world to about 15 when the new rankings will come out to end the year.

And as a result of his performance, Hield will be the first English-speaking boxer to compete in the WSB in Mexico this weekend.

The tournament is designed as an All-Star Classic where boxers from around the world are invited to compete on various countries that are not a part of the tournament.

Developed by the International Boxing Association (AIBA), the WSB is a unique concept. It is the first ever pro-style competition where boxers retain their Olympic eligibility and moreover, the first event which sees national-based pro boxing teams go head to head in a league format.

Endorsed by nearly 200 national federations, it represents the future of boxing. The WSB marked a new era in the sport of boxing when it launched its first season on November 19, 2010. Since then the league has gone from strength to strength.

There are two groups of competitions. In Group A are Algeria, Argentina, Germany, Italy, Ukraine and the United States of America. Group B will comprise of Azerbaijan, Cuba, Poland, Kazakhstan, Mexico and Russia.

Hield, who will be leaving town today for Mexico, said he’s excited to be able to continue fighting.

“This is all about your team. You have to go out there and compete in a team format,” said Hield, who got the opportunity to join the 30-member team from Mexico as the Bahamas didn’t qualify to have its own team. “You have to be able to do your part to help your team win.”

Hield, the top amateur boxer left after Valentino Knowles and Taureano ‘Reno’ Johnson moved into the professional ranks, said he’s confident that he can compete with the best amateur boxers in the world.

“I just need some more competition,” he said. “I think if I can get a corporate sponsor, who is willing to help me to get to the meets to compete, they don’t have to give me any money, I feel I can get better and be in a better position to contend for the top spots when I travel to these international meets.”